MaltaMedia.com

The National Statistics Office (NSO) said that the inbound tourism in June was estimated at 137,022, a slight increase when compared to the corresponding month last year.

Furthermore the total nights spent went up by 2.5 per cent.

Statistical details show that 88 per cent of inbound tourists came to Malta for holiday purposes, while a further 9,958 visited the island for business purposes, an area of tourism which sustained a drop of 16 per cent.

Most inbound tourists came from EU Member States, despite a decrease of 1 per cent. Tourists from Non-EU countries increased by 12 per cent and numbered 18,355. Malta’s main markets, namely the UK and Italy, both registered declines, but still accounted for 45 per cent of total inbound tourists. A notable increase of 23 per cent was reported in the German market.

NSO added that the total nights spent during this period were estimated at over 1 million, the majority of which were spent in collective accommodation. Guest nights in private accommodation rose by 12 per cent, while total nights spent in collective accommodation edged down by 1 per cent. Overall, the average length of stay was calculated at 7.6 nights, up by 0.2 of a night when compared to June last year.

Expenditure on package travel increased by €4 million and stood at €38 million, a rise of 13 per cent over the corresponding period last year. Expenditure on accommodation went down by 13 per cent thereby contributing to a decrease in non-package expenditure of 10 per cent. Overall, total tourist expenditure advanced 18 per cent.

Inbound tourists by mid-year reached 618,784, an increase of 12 per cent over the comparable period last year. The majority of tourists came to Malta by air. In absolute terms, the increase is primarily attributable to a rise in holiday visits, mainly from the British, French and Belgian markets.

A significant decrease was recorded in the Libyan market, due to the suspension of air and sea links.

Furthermore 85 per cent of all inbound visits comprised tourists coming from EU Member States. Tourists from Non-EU countries went up by 39 per cent.

For the period under review, the majority of inbound tourists chose non-package travel. Demands for package and non-package trips increased by 14 and 11 per cent respectively. Increases were recorded in both the number of repeat tourists and in the number of first-time visitors, albeit the latter constituted the majority. On a gender basis, male tourists exceeded females, and accounted for 54 per cent of total tourist trips. The largest share of tourists fell within the 45-64 age bracket, which also went up by 12 per cent when compared to the previous year.

Marked increases were also noted at both ends of the age spectrum.

Between January and June, total nights spent by these tourists rose by 9 per cent, surpassing 4.5 million nights. Nights spent in collective and private accommodation went up by 8 and 14 per cent respectively. The average length of stay is calculated at 7.3 nights, at par with 2010 levels.

During the same period, total tourist expenditure was estimated at €468 million, up by 15 per cent when compared to 2010. Increases were recorded throughout all expenditure categories. The survey indicated that the per capita total expenditure was estimated at €756, an increase of 2 per cent when compared to 2010 levels.